Aaron Donald praises Rams coaches following Marcus Peters trade

The Los Angeles Rams are making the bold decision to acquire Marcus Peters in a trade with the Chiefs. Although the terms of the trade have not yet been revealed, it’s expected that the Rams won’t have to surrender a first-round pick in the trade.

That mitigates the risk of the deal, but given his character concerns and unique personality, the Rams are taking a chance on a player with a checkered past. After all, he was kicked off the Washington football team and suspended by the Chiefs in 2017.

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The best way to handle a player like him is to have coaches in place to keep him on track and focused. There are questions about his impact on the locker room and the overall morale of the team, but there’s no doubting his passion and fire.

That’s something the Rams have to capture and utilize as a positive. And if he does stray from the path, Sean McVay and his staff have to step in.

Aaron Donald, who spent the last year under this coaching regime, knows the Rams have the guys in place to hold players accountable.

“He’s a coach — he’ll get after you when you do something wrong,” Donald said of McVay, via the Kansas City Star. “Don’t let that smile fool you. I’ve seen that man change.”

This is something that’s been said several times since McVay was hired. Although he’s relatively inexperienced and only 32 years old, he knows how to make sure players are held accountable for their actions.

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On the other end of the age spectrum for the Rams is Wade Phillips, one of the most well respected coaches in the game. Having Phillips heading the defense will absolutely help Peters’ transition from the Chiefs to Los Angeles, given how well he’s handled personalities in the past.

“Every little thing he says, it makes you want to listen to it and take the coaching,” Donald said of Phillips.

The Rams’ locker room, which has a good mix of youth and experience, will undoubtedly welcome Peters and give him a much-needed change of scenery, too. McVay pointed directly to Donald as a player who’s a “real good influence” on other guys in the building.

Ultimately, it’s unlikely Peters’ personality gets in the way with the Rams. And if it does cause a small problem, it’s a price worth paying for a potential Hall of Fame talent.

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